Seal-look



C. H. CONNULLY.

SEAL LOCK.

No. 6l3,620. Patented Nov. I, I898.

' (Application filed Nov. 20, 1897.)

(No Model.) v 2 Shefig-heefl.

F I G- I- llIllIIIHIIHHHIIIIIllllllllllllllllll' I iu m w u I I25; l p I' z; .4 I I W '1" IIIHlllllllllllll lllllIIIHIIIHIIIIHI| F|G-2.- l'illllll lllil' Witnesses M 5 I 6% ai'Zaaffl Caraway.

K Gum/neg,

Patented ,Nov. I, I898. C. H. CONNOLLY.

SEAL LOCK. (Application filed. Nov. 20, 1897.)

2 Sheets-Shat 2 (No Model.)

amen/ta 6&47760 JZT 619M700 Z Z w vimeooeo W @2252,

m: NORRIS Pnzqs 1:0 mm'auma, whsnmawu, n. c.

Ihvrri: STATES OHARLES H. OONNOLLY, OF FORT MADISON, IOI/VA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-HALF TO ISAAC B. SNYDER, OF SAME PLACE, AND J. H. HASS, OF DAVENPORT, IOIVA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,620, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed November 20, 1897. Serial No. 659,258. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern."

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. CoNNoLLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-door seal-locks.

My object is to provide a seal-lock of improved construction especially adaptable for use on the doors of freight-cars, but also capable of use in connection with sliding or folding doors of any type and on mail-pouches, as well as in a variety of other connections, whereby any tampering with the lock will render detection inevitable.

The invention consists'of certain improved devices adapted to coact in a novel manner, as fully set forth hereinafter. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figurelis a side View of a portion of a freight-car and the door thereof, showing my seal-lock applied thereto, the locking-bolt being shown in its open position and the car-door open; Fig. 2, a perspective view showing the locking-bolt engaged by the locking-catch and the protector-plate and its hasp thrown back; Fig. 3, a vertical section taken through the protectorplate, the locking-catch, and the securingplate; Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken. on the line w of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a perspective view of a modified construction adapted for use on mail-pouches, the securing-plate being thrown back; and Fig. 6, a vertical section of the construction shown in Fig. 5.

The side of afreight-car is shown at 1, and 2 is the sliding door thereof.

The numeral 3 designates a securing-plate which is set in the car-door and suitably secured thereto, being provided with a bolt receiving groove or slot 4.

The numeral 5 designates a vertically-disposed gravity locking-catch working in the dovetailed seat 6, and the said catch is adapted to have its lower end project into the boltbon or band.

slot. It is provided with a thumb-notch 7, so that it may be readily lifted when desirable.

The numeral 8 designates a locking-bolt which is slidable in the box 9, sunk in the side of the car and provided with a slot 10, in which travels the shank of a knob or handle 11, connected to the bolt. In some situations it is desirable to have this knob or handle at the bottom instead of the side of the box. Said bolt has a notch 12, which is adapted to receive the locking-catch, and said bolt is positioned so that it may be projected into the bolt-slot of the securing-plate when the door is closed. Means are thus provided for locking the door, and the means hereinafter described are for the purpose of protecting this locking mechanism, so that after the door has been locked the same cannot be unfastened except by an authorized person without immediate detection. Below the bolt-slot there is made an H-shaped opening 13 in the securing-plate, and the cross-slot 14 of this H- shaped slot serves as a sight-opening to reveal the seal, while the vertical slits are adapted for the reception of seal-cutters, as will appear fully later on. On the inner face of the securing-plate are vertical ribs 15, having slits 17 in alinement with the longitudinal axis of the cross-slot 14, and they are for the purpose of holding the Hat seal rib- At the lower portion of the front face of the securing-plate are wearstrips 19, against which the cams of the locking-hasp of the protector-plate are adapted to bear. The protector-plate is shown at 19, and it is adapted to fit in the vertical slot 20, so that it will lie flush with the face of the car-door and against the securing-plate. This protector-plate is hinged at its upper end 21, so that it may be swung upwardly, and it has a sight-opening 22 in register with the crossslot 14. A suitable shutter 23 is employed for the sight-opening 22. At the ends of the sight slot or opening 22 are parallel plates 19, having substantially triangular openings 19 therein, which openings have the sharpened edges 19. These plates project at right angles to the protector-plate and they are adapted for reception in the vertical slots of the H-shaped opening 13 and to project beyond the inner face of the securing-plate, so that the triangular openings will be in register with the seal-holding openings heretofore described.

The numeral 21 designates a transverse rib on the protector-plate,which fits into a groove 21 in the securing-plate when the protectorplate is closed and is for the purpose of preventing the lifting of the locking-catch, and hence the opening of the door,without damaging the seal by the insertion of a steel wire through the sight-opening 22.

There is a locking-hasp 24:, which is hinged at 25 to the lower end of the protector-plate and has an opening adapted to receive an eye 26 projecting from the car-door, which eye receives a padlock 27. A pin could be substituted for the padlock should the car he.

transferred to a road not using the ribbon seal. The locking-hasp has cams 28 at its point of connection to the protector-plate, and these cams are adapted to bear against the wear-strips, heretofore described, when the hasp is raised, so that by reason of the leverage the protector-plate will be forced out of its slot, and hence easily raised.

The car-door being open, the protector-plate is fitted down in its openings and the hasp locked. The seal-cutting plates 19 will then be passed through the securing-plate, with their triangular openings in register with the seal-holding openings. The stamped sealribbon or band is then passed through the seal holding openings and the triangular openings, and when thus positioned the stamped portion of said seal will be visible through the sight-slots. The car-door is then closed and the locking-bolt shot into its slot in the securing-plate, whereupon the locking-catch will first be lifted and will then drop into the notch in said bolt, thereby locking the latter and securing the car-door. It is clear that the locking mechanism will hold the door secure against any breaking open thereof, and if the padlock should be broken and the prorector-plate pried open the knife-edges 19 will cut the seal and it will then be apparent when the next stopping-place of the car is reached that the mechanism has been tampered with, and it will be rendered clear between which two stations the wrongful act has taken place.

hen it is desirable to open the car-door, the locking-hasp is unlocked and thrown upwardly, whereupon the cams bear against the wear-strips and the protector-plate is forced out of its recess, and hence readily raised. It will be observed, however, that whenever the door is opened, whether by authority or not, the seal will be cut, and by reason of the seal being on the inside of the car-door access cannot be had thereto without opening the door.

Reference is to be had to Figs. 5 and 6 for a disclosure of the modified construction of the seal-lock employed in connection with mail-pouches. In this instance a box 29 is employed, which corresponds to the securingplate described heretofore, the same being provided with the H -shaped slot and with the slotted seal retaining or holding ribs. In this construction a spring-actuated locking-catch (shown at 30) is employed, and it is located inside of the box 29, being provided with a button 31, so that it may be retracted. The strip 32 corresponds to the locking-bolt, and this strip is adapted to be inserted in an opening in the box and engaged by the spring-actuated catch. The box has a hinged cover 33, having a sight-opening and hook-shaped seal-cutters of substantially the same construction as those heretofore described and acting in the same manner. A look 34 is employed for fastening the protector-plate or cover against opening. The box is secured to the mail bag or pouch and the lockingstrip is fastened to the strap that goes around the pouch. It is clear that the cover has to first be unlocked and the catch retracted before the mail-pouch can be opened and that the opening of the cover causes a cutting of the seal, which latter is located inside of the mail-bag and is placed in position prior to the locking of said bag.

Although I have described but two applications of the invention, it is clear that the same could be put to various other uses and that slight modifications could be resorted to in constructing the device without detracting from any of the advantages thereof, and hence I consider myself entitled to all such changes as come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a seal-lock, the combination with members adapted to lock with each other, of a seal, a protector independent of said members for preventing access to the interlocking portions of the members, and means for damaging the seal brought into action by the movement of the protector:

2. In a seal-lock for freight-car doors, the combination with a seal-holder connected to the inner face of the door so as to be inaccessible when the door is closed, of a seal in said holder, members on the car and door adapted to lock with each other, a protector for preventing access to the interlocking portions of the members, and a knife carried by the pro tector adapted to cut the seal when said protector is opened.

3. In a seal-lock, the combination with a securing-plate having an opening, of a sealholder on said plate, a seal in the holder, a locking member, a second locking member on the securing-plate adapted to lock with the first member, a movable protector adapted to prevent access to the interlocking portions of the members aforesaid, and a knife carried by said protector which projects through the securing-plate adjacent the seal and is adapted to cut the latter when the protector is opened.

4:. In a seal-lock, the combination with a securing-plate having a sight-openin g and an additional slit or opening, of a seal-ho1der, a seal in said holder and exhibited through the sight-opening, a locking member on the securing-plate, another lockin g member adapted to engage that aforesaid, a movable protector normally adapted to cover and protect the interlocked portions of the locking members and provided with a sight-opening registering with that aforesaid, and a knife carried by the protector which projects through the additional opening in the securing-plate and is adapted to cut the seal when the protector is opened.

5. In a seal-lock, the combination with an automatic catch, of a lookin g member adapted to engage therewith, a movable protector for preventing access to the catch, a seal-holder, a second seal-holder on the protector, and a seal held in both of the aforesaid holders.

6. In a seal-lock, the combination with a securing-plate having an H-shaped opening, of an automatic catch slidable on said plate, a seal-holder comprising ribs having slots in alinement with the cross-slot of the H shaped opening, a locking-bolt adapted for engagement with the automatic catch, a hinged protector adapted to cover the interlocked portions of the catch and bolt, and provided with a sight-slot in register with the crossslot aforesaid, and seal-cutters provided with sealholding openings projecting from the protector and adapted for reception in the vertical slots of the H-shaped opening.

7. In a seal-lock for freight-car doors, the combination with a securing-plate sunk below the surface of the door, of members on the securing-plate and car respectively, which are adapted to lock with each other, a seal, a hinged protector adapted to be sunk into the car-door and cover the interlocked portions of the locking members, a lookin g-hasp hinged to the protector and provided with cams at its said hinge connection, wear-strips on the door against which the cams bear, means for locking the hasp, and means carried by the protector adapted to damage the seal when the protector is opened.

8. In a seal-look for freight-car doors, the combination with a securing-plate having a groove, of a locking-catch slidable on said se curing-plate, a locking member adapted to engage with the catch, a movable protectorplate having a sight-opening, a rib on said protector-plate which fits in the groove when the protector-plate is closed, and a seal connected to thesecuring-plate and exposed through the sight-opening, said rib being located between the sight-opening and the locking-catch.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. OONNOLLY.

Witnesses:

G. W. WEEKS, RICHARD ROE. 

